Hawai‘i: Yo-Yo Ma and the Whales

Our Common Nature | Nov 19, 2025

Yo-Yo Ma has wanted to use his cello to communicate with whales for half his life. And, in Hawai’i he got a chance. With help from the Polyneisan Voyaging Society and hula master Snowbird Bento, Yo-Yo learns about the ancient art of Hawaiian chant, what one local singer describes to him as their “contribution to the orchestra of the world.” Then Ana and Yo-Yo board a legendary canoe, Hōkūleʻa, with local fishermen, seafaring captains, and marine biologists. The musicians play cello for whales through the hull of the ship, all in the red glow of volcano Mauna Loa’s active eruption.

Featuring music by Yo-Yo Ma and Snowbird Bento

Listen to the Our Common Nature EP

Credits:
Our Common Nature is a production of WNYC and Sound Postings

Hosted by Ana González
Produced by Alan Goffinski
Editing from Pearl Marvell
Sound design and episode music by Alan Goffinski
Mixed by Joe Plourde
Fact-checking by Ena Alvarado
Executive Producers are Emily Botein, Ben Mandelkern, Sophie Shackleton, and Jonathan Bays.
Our advisors are Mira Burt-Wintonick, Kamaka Dias, Kelley Libbey, and Chris Newell
Episode photo by Austin Mann; Episode and show art by Tiffany Pai

Be alert for scams. WNYC never asks for nor accepts money for coverage or interviews. Anyone making such a request does not represent WNYC.

Darializa Avila-Chevalier on Mamdani, ICE and the NYPD

Who’s Running This Place |

Has MAGA Lost Faith in Donald Trump? Plus, Molly Fischer on Waymo

Rich Baris, a pollster supportive of MAGA, explains how the President lost control of his movement. And Fischer, a New Yorker staff writer, on the present and future of driverless cars.

The New Yorker Radio Hour |

Watch: Test your news knowledge with Brian Lehrer

Brian Lehrer leads special guests in a multi-round quiz of news oddities.

Radiolab |

A Nobel Peace Prize Winner on the State of Press Freedom and Democracy

The Brian Lehrer Show |

Our Common Nature

When the world stopped in 2020, cellist Yo-Yo Ma started thinking about how music can reconnect people to the natural world. In this limited podcast series, Yo-Yo travels around the country to make music and meet people who have deep connections to the earth. Host Ana González joins him to uncover the ways that culture binds us to nature, from Maine to Appalachia and Hawaii.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

To request a transcript for an episode of this show, please use the form on this page, and select the “I Need To” and “Request Transcripts” options.

Be alert for scams. WNYC never asks for nor accepts money for coverage or interviews. Anyone making such a request does not represent WNYC.

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

Hawai‘i: Yo-Yo Ma and the Whales

Top Stories

Darializa Avila-Chevalier on Mamdani, ICE and the NYPD

Has MAGA Lost Faith in Donald Trump? Plus, Molly Fischer on Waymo

Watch: Test your news knowledge with Brian Lehrer

A Nobel Peace Prize Winner on the State of Press Freedom and Democracy

Our Common Nature

Inside WNYC

Get Involved

Get in Touch